Ms. Etheridge, left, the rock musician and political activist, is one of 14 celebrities, politicians and community leaders who are chairmen of the Obama effort, called Vote for Change, the campaign announced on Thursday.

Also on the list: the R&B star Usher, left; the rocker Dave Matthews; Kerry Washington, an actress known recently from the “Fantastic Four” movies; Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts; and Representative Linda T. Sanchez of California.

The co-chairmen were obviously selected to appeal to the various groups the Democrats are trying to bring on board — young people, blacks, Hispanics. But the real work, it seems, will be on the ground.

Obama field organizers are to gather on Saturday at more than 100 sites, including cafes and conference rooms, in the 50 states and the District of Columbia to train volunteers who will then seek out people on the streets to ambush and register on the spot. The effort is to last six months.

Considering a party who was so shocked that Florida did not count for Gore in 2000, how could they then allow for this coming election? What will this mean? Will the Democratic Party be the party of OBAMA Pelosi endorsed Charlatans and HYPOCRITES?

>>organizers are to gather on Saturday at more than 100 sites, including cafes and conference rooms, in the 50 states and the District of Columbia to train volunteers who will then seek out people on the streets to ambush
>>

Ambush – bad choice of words hinting at militant politics. “being ambushed on the street” comes across as an attack and is not what I would associate with positive politics.

But it’s more than that. The Vote For Change program will lay the foundation for Obama’s general election get-out-the-vote efforts. Obama aides won’t say much more, but I gather that the campaign is constructing an incredibly elaborate online interface to allow its more than a million donors and volunteers to directly persuade their neighbors through a variety of media. Names gathered from the voter registration effort will be merged with names gathered through Obama’s primary efforts and the names off of the Democratic Party’s integrated voter file as well as lists purchased from outside vendors.

On election day, Obama might have more than a million individuals volunteering on his behalf. That should scare the beejeesus out of the McCain campaign and the RNC.”

Not only does it show the strength of Sen. Obama’s organizational capabilities – he has more than enough campaign organizers to staff two major efforts at once – but it shows the power he can bring to the general election.

I’m for Mr Obama. And I do not care when Ms Clinto get out. But I care abou what I think the republicans are doing in every blog on yhr midea that have comments. They just post as Mrs Clinton or Mr Obama supporters and trough away the kitchen and the toilet in the face of of the other candidate supporters. The operation chaos in not only with votes, is whatever they can hurt democraty party. If real democrats do not understeand that and get hate for the oppositirs and love for the saint (Mr Mackain) sure we will lose in november so please do not believe that all the persons that write comments are Mrs Clinton Or Mr Obama supporters, they can be Mr Rove, Mr Bush, Mr Mckain, Mr cheney or those who profite from wars. Be vigilant.

An Obama supporter called me today saying she understood I had expressed my support for him (?!)and would I like to join the nationwide voter registration drive that his campaign was going to be kicking off this Saturday — in New York. I told her that I was still a Hillary supporter and that kicking off his voter registration drive in her home town of New York was pure chutzpah.

AMBUSH???? Where do “journalists” come up with this stuff?? And please do not try to create the myth that this is a movement driven by Obama’s “brainwashed optimistic young cult college students”.

I am a 44 year old mother of two and I have signed up to help register people in Los Angeles. I am proud to have the opportunity to bring one of the most important rights we have as Americans to more people.

Oh, great, lining up lots o’ Hollywood high-profile support, look how well that worked out for John Kerry. I knew Kerry was toast when I saw him trotting out Ben Affleck at all his campaign events. Will they every learn?

I’m sure all those NASCAR fans are going to be fired up for Obama once they learn Melissa Etheridge is backing him.

Sen. Obama’s smartest move was allowing people – ie. bloggers, videomakers – to be the journalists who would dictate public opinion. If that keeps up McCain doesn’t stand a chance. This video, for example, is just brilliant. I think it’ll singlehandedly knock Clinton out of the race:

To HDM and all others who are convinced that Obama’s big numbers among blacks mean that blacks are racist, I hope you will read this –

Contrary to what you may think, blacks also fall into many subgroups and young blacks have gone to Obama – but then again so have MOST YOUNG voters of all colors. For older blacks, support of Obama is NOT a vote against Senator Clinton (at least not initially), it was a vote FOR Obama. Think “pride” not “racism.” As people who have been the bald-headed, step children of America ever since getting off the boat, the opportunity to cast a vote for a brilliant and compelling black candidate who is not only respected by blacks but by whites as well, is almost unbelievable. For my mother-in-law, who grew up in segregated Alabama and who sometimes has to pinch herself when she sees a black man in a police uniform, this is something she thought she would never, ever, see in her lifetime. In many ways, Obama is the embodiment of MLK’s dream – a dream that has become real. (….judged by the content of character not color of skin..) These same black folks – in roughly the same percentages – voted enthusiastically for Bill Clinton, Bob Kerrey, etc. So please cut black folks some slack – when they have a chance to vote for a candidate who equally compelling as is the other candidates. If it were all about race, Alan Keyes and Michael Steele would have gotten farther with black folks. There are very few instances where black Democrats have supported a black Republican over a white Republican. The Civil Rights legacy of the modern Democratic party has made blacks a loyal base and that will be a hard relationship to shake – for a long time to come.

Can we say that “hard-working whites” are voting for Clinton and against Obama for the same reasons? Obviously, Mrs. Clinton doesn’t believe so –

Thank God, Obama has made it thus far with the help of people who wants to see a change in Washington. We know it will not be easy, because Rome was not built in a day. But if we keep the focus and good intentions, and work very hard between now and Novenber, get new people to register then Almighty God, will bless this work. Everything that man has is only a loan from the Creator. We should not have people in America losing their homes, going to bed hungry,etc. Thank you for reading my message. May God Bless America, the land that I love. Even though I lost my 21 year old Cousin in Iraq in. I hope we can in the near future, bring an end to this war.

This is a great idea, and well timed, since far too often young people, especially, miss registration deadlines.

And for those who have found Obama “sexist,” please explain to me how and why Clinton’s supporters can say she has “testicular fortitude” and 3 balls, and no one calls foul. And by the way, when Clinton and her cronies call Obama a pansy, that’s a sexist remark. It suggests that feminine attributes are a bad thing and can be used as a legitimate insult.

HDM, you’ve got it twisted. Hillary is the one constantly making entreaties for women to support a woman. Barack has never asked men to support a man. Likewise, she is the one now asking the white vote to coalesce behind her. Barack has never asked blacks to vote for him simply because he’s black.

Also, if you recall, Hillary used to have a majority of the black support – until her surrogates (like Bill and Ferraro) started in with their snide remarks. As for the media, granted there has been sexism, but what do you think all this focus on Barack being “elitist” is? Its modern-day code for uppity.

Obama has won millions of female and non-black votes. I’m sure some of his supporters vote for him because of his skin or his gender, but most vote for him specifically because he reminds us that it is what we have in common, rather than our differences, which are important.

It’s time to focus on the 90-95% of policy issues on which Obama and Hillary agree – and against which McCain is diametrically opposed.

husband and I have been so impressed with the professionalism and grassroots nature of this campaign. Folks, this is not a cult. It’s called individuals taking individual initiatives to find ways they can make sure this country gets back on the right track. It has much more to do with the process than the individual person we’re trying to elect.

We drove to Gary, Indiana from Saint Paul, Minnesota to canvass two weekends in a row and we plan to register voters this weekend. It is a lot of juggling with two small kids, but it is so satisfying to talk with fellow Americans about substantive issues and ways we can reach our common goals.

We are proud to be participating and bring more people into the process. It’s great to feel like my individual family is a part of something bigger than our own narrow self-interests. Plus, we have met so many lovely fellow Americans in the process – what a gift to give our children.

When are pro-Obama college students going to realize that they are simply pawns in Obama’s game? They are simply the extras on the set of his movie. They are the background scenery. He needs them to look good but they don’t need him. Making a choice based on what’s best for their actual future not their fantasy future will require them to look beyond the Obama stage show.

Melissa Etheridge is one of my favorite musicians, a smart, talented artist. I am happy to hear that she supports my choice of candidate, OBAMA, for President, and galvanizing America to VOTE FOR CHANGE! We have endured 20 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush failed domestic and international policies. Obama offers hope and more rational, long term solutions, not fear or desperate knee jerk reactions. Having overcome many of life’s challenges in his humble upbringing, Obama can relate to us on a deeper level. His mantra centers around diplomacy, unity, and modesty, unlike the bully GWB who mocks peaceful resolutions.

The big prize and goal will be a brighter future for the younger generation, by setting a positive example for them to follow.

I have no idea how Obama thinks he will get all the Clinton supporters. I support Clinton in part because I have never liked or trusted Obama. I know many many others who feel the same way. I would rather not vote than vote for Obama.

President Obama drew criticism on Thursday when he said, “we don’t have a strategy yet,” for military action against ISIS in Syria. Lawmakers will weigh in on Mr. Obama’s comments on the Sunday shows.Read more…